The shipping industry is vital to commerce in the United States and in most nations around the world. In particular, the trucking industry is one of the most important branches of the shipping industry in many countries around the world including the United States. It is estimated that at least thirty to forty percent of all goods transported in the United States are hauled by trucks pulling flat bed trailers. The types of materials and commodities hauled on flat bed trailers vary dramatically. For instance, flat bed trailers are often used to transport heavy equipment, wood products, oil field materials, and steel. Many such goods can be hauled safely and with relative ease of securement to the flat bed trailer. However, some materials present difficulties for those in the shipping industry to transport securely and efficiently.
In particular, various types of payloads are difficult to transport on a flat bed trailer because of their large weight and unconventional shapes. Steel coils are one example of an item that can be difficult and dangerous to ship. Steel coils often weigh five times the weight of the flat bed trailer used to haul it. These coils are generally cylindrical in shape and may be of varying diameter. On many occasions, payloads such as steel coils, pipes and other cylindrical objects become dislodged from the bed of trailers despite the best efforts of those responsible for shipping such objects. When these massive loads become loose, there is great risk for property damage and accidents causing injury to persons.
At present, the United States Department of Transportation ("DOT") regulates the shipment of steel coils. However, in spite of DOT regulations, accidents from unsecured loads remain a problem in the shipping industry. Problems frequently occur because the payload becomes loose as a result of large lateral forces that act on the payload when the vehicle engages in a sharp turn. In addition, a payload can become unsecured over time as the vehicle undergoes routine turns and sustains vibrations and natural swaying forces while traveling great distances over roadways. Payloads can also become loose after the vehicle hauling it reaches a roll over or other extremely unstable situation. In such circumstances, the weight of the payload can cause it to break away from the present methods employed in the shipping industry for restraining objects on a flat bed trailer. Given all the above problems, it will be appreciated by those in the shipping industry that there remains a need for a safer and more effective means to transport payloads, particularly heavy payloads and payloads of cylindrical or other unconventional shapes.
There are presently several devices employed by those in the trucking industry for securing and shipping heavy, cylindrical payloads such as metal coil. The current state of the art includes devices that employ chocks wedged between the coil and the trailer bed. Reitnouer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,608, is one such example. These devices depend to a large extent on the weight of the payload in combination with frictional forces to hold the payload in place. In the absence of appropriate frictional forces, the payload can become unstable. Furthermore, devices such as Reitnouer often do not provide adequate restraint should the trailer bed undergo severe turns, extreme braking, or other unstable positions such as a roll over situation.
Often, some combination of holding chains, brackets and tie downs are added to attempt further securement of the payload. Borda, U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,376, is one such example. However, Borda and other such devices can be time-consuming to install. Because of the various component parts of such devices that must be assembled, these devices are cumbersome to use and are therefore prone to inadequate tightening and other human error. In addition, the chains utilized in these devices for restraining a payload are usually attached to and exert an upward component of force on the side rails of the flat bed trailer. The side rails are often made of aluminum or other lightweight material which limit the ability of these devices to perform as intended. In addition, even if the holding chains are originally tight and the load is initially secured, after the truck has traveled many miles, the side rails can yield, thus causing the chains to become loose. Finally, even if used correctly, these devices generally do not prevent the payload from becoming unrestrained should the flat bed trailer reach an overturned or other unstable position.
The general object of the present invention is to provide significantly improved restraint to heavy payloads under all circumstances, including when the vehicle transporting the payload reaches a turned over or other unexpected position. It is further an object of this invention to provide a securing device that is simple to use, thus minimizing the risk of human error that can sometimes occur and lead to unsecured loads. It is a further object of this invention to provide a device that is affordable to manufacture and purchase.